There has been growing pressure on India and China from the US-led bloc of developed countries to fix quantifiable targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Indians, presently, are among the lowest emitters of carbon dioxide per capita and as the Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said, “India is simply not in a position to take any legally binding emission reductions.”

In today’s society, every item we consume is created by an industrial process, and hence has greenhouse gas emissions associated with it. It is not just our car or electricity or gas but everything. Everything we consume has greenhouse gas emissions associated with it.

Recently I came across an article in a magazine and it read:

“Burgers are common food items for most people in the US — surprisingly common. Estimates for the average American diet range from an average of about one per week, or about 50/year (Fast Food Nation) to as many as three burgers per week, or roughly 150/year (the Economist, among other sources).”

On searching the internet I came across another interesting piece of information: “combined carbon dioxide footprint of a cheeseburger is 3000 grams of CO2 (at the high end, with coal).”  (source: www.openthefuture.com)

Thus, every American simply by consuming three burgers a week leaves a carbon footprint of around 0.5 metric tonnes per year whereas an Indian leaves a carbon footprint of 1.4 metric tonnes per year, and that includes everything he does for his living in an entire year.

From the above statistics, it very clear that the Indian government should not agree on fixing of targets for greenhouse gas emissions and instead ask our American friends to consume a burger less whenever they feel that Indians are contributing more to the greenhouse gas emissions.

Further, in India around 50 % of the population is below the poverty line and if it has to provide the basic needs like food, shelter and education to this population it has to emit more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and if the Americans seriously care about the world they should think about foregoing a burger for the sake of their Indian friends.

(An interesting site for information on how the products we use are affecting our environment can be found at the story of stuff. As the site says, “The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.”)